At
times the fear grew in him, but he mastered it. There was half an hour
left when he began opening the little bottles and making his films.
He was still not finished when steps echoed down the hall, but he was
reasonably sure of his results. The bug could not grow in Earth-normal
tissue.
Three men entered the room. One of them, dressed in a spacesuit, held
out another suit to him. The other two began gathering up everything in
the cabin and stowing it neatly into a sack designed to protect freight
for a limited time in a vacuum.
Doc forced his hands to steadiness with foolish pride and began climbing
into the suit. He reached for the helmet, but the man shook his head,
pointing to the oxygen gauge. There would be exactly one hour's supply
of oxygen when he was thrown out and it still lacked five minutes of the
deadline.
They marched him down the hallway, to meet Everts coming toward them.
There were still three minutes left when they reached the airlock, with
its inner door already open. The spacesuited man climbed into it and
began strapping down so that the rush of air would not sweep him outward
when the other seal was released.
Doc had saved one bracky weed. Now he raised it to his lips, fumbling
for a light.
Everts stepped forward and flipped a lighter. Doc inhaled deeply. Fear
was thick in every muscle, and he needed the smoke desperately.
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